1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a performance-monitoring device used in sports. In particular, the invention concerns a wristop device, which can be used for monitoring the intensity of training. Such a device monitors the physiological state of a sportsman and provides training-related data to the sportsman. The invention also concerns a method of carrying out exercise monitoring.
2. Description of Related Art
EP 1245184 discloses a heart rate monitor having a digital display, which comprises panels for showing a lower and higher limit of the heart rate in numbers. A highlighted section of a slide bar is moved between the higher and lower limit to show the current heart rate of the user of the device. The heart rate is also shown in number format in a corner of the display. The device is restricted to showing in an illustrative way only the heart rates between the lower and upper limits. If no section of the slide bar is highlighted, the user has to refer to the number representation of the heart rate. If the linear scale of the slide bar is extended, the resolution degrades to an unusable level due to a limited resolution and size of digital displays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,346 discloses an artery locating device, which has a function of showing heart rate in a linear graphical slide bar.
In EP 0761163, and EP 0842 635 another display method for a heart rate monitor is disclosed. The display has a graphical heart rate bar and a numerical representation of the heart rate.
WO 90/00366 discloses a numerical display having a lower limit of heart rate, a higher limit of heart rate and the actual heart rate shown in numbers.
In many prior art devices, setting of the lower and higher limits for heart rate is very difficult to carry out. In order to be able to set the limits, the user often has to navigate to a correct menu of the device and to tap the setting in by using “increase/decrease value” buttons of the device. The procedure is therefore often left undone in the beginning of an exercise, whereby the useful heart rate limiting function of the device remains unused.
In addition, the prior art solutions related to heart rate monitor displays are such that it is difficult for the user to quickly see the present heart rate and the heart rate limits. When jogging, for example, the device unavoidably shakes, whereby perceiving of the heart rate with respect to the limits takes a long while.